Fuel Tester for Characterization of the Susceptibility to Thermoacoustic Instabilities and Method

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This invention describes a compact and portable fuel testing device and method that can quickly assess the susceptibility of different fuels to cause thermoacoustic instabilities when burned (a major issue in gas turbines and combustion systems). The device burns the fuel in a small combustion chamber, uses a vortex generator to introduce controlled perturbations, and employs an optical system to visualize and analyze the resulting flame. By comparing characteristics like flame shape and its response to disturbances, it determines if a fuel is more or less likely to induce such instabilities compared to a reference fuel.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Evaluating new or alternative fuels (including biofuels and hydrogen blends) for suitability in gas turbines before full-scale engine testing.
• Assessing the impact of fuel composition changes due to supplier variation or environmental regulations.
• Developing safer, more efficient fuels for power plants, industrial boilers, and aero-engines.
• Routine quality control for fuel batches to ensure consistent combustion performance.
• Research in combustion science and new engine/combustor development.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Greatly reduces the time and cost associated with evaluating fuels compared to full-scale turbine tests.
• Minimizes operational downtime, as testing does not need to interrupt actual gas turbine use.
• Portable and compact, allowing for on-site fuel testing and flexible deployment.
• Enables fast and reliable comparison between multiple fuels or fuel blends under consistent, controlled conditions.
• Improves safety by reducing the risk of deploying fuels with high propensity for destructive combustion instabilities.
• Supports transition to new and alternative fuels by making their validation easier and less expensive.

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Patent Abstract

A fuel testing device (100) includes a combustion chamber (140) having an optical access port (142); a visualization system (150) that acquires images of a flame inside the combustion chamber (140), the images being acquired through the optical access port (142); and a vortex generator (124) that perturbs a flow of a fuel inside the combustion chamber (140). The images are used to determine a propensity of the fuel to thermoacoustic instabilities, and the combustion chamber (140) has a length less than 2 m.